Stabilized airship



Aug.' 5, 1930. F, SHORT 41,772,161

STABILIZED AIRSHIP Filed Feb. 24, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 c v FRANK SHORT Patented Aug. 5, 1930 FRANK SHORT, OF POUGH'KEEPSIE, NEW YORK STABILIZED AIRSHIP This invention relates to airships, the broad object of which is to produce a stabilized airf ship that is readily controllable either` manually or automatically while in flight or moored. It is especially applicable to the sectional type of airship, which will hereinafter be termed the flexible airship.

Among the important features of the invention are a system of ballast tanlrs with 1 means for distributing ballast among them, means for the control of such distribution of ballast, means for the alteration of the lift of various parts of the airship, means for the control of said alteration and means for the correlation of the ballast distribution with the lift alteration control.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and combine the various elements of the invention that an airship may be produced in which stability, safety and comfort are increased to a point where the airship becomes a practical commercial carrier.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein shown, described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an airship showing diagrammatically the locati'onspf the major elements of the stabilized airship;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal cross-section of certain parts of the above figure; Y

Fig. 3 is a similar `diagrammatic longitudinal median section of certain parts of Fig. 1; v Y

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a control system for conditions of horizontal flight;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the control system of Fig. 4 set for conditions of horizontal flight, but with the central airship section over-loaded;

Fig. 6 is a similar view but showing the control system set for conditions of steady climb; y f ,Y

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the central section, 2, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of one form of control mechanism;

Fig. 9 isa'similar View of a further form of control mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a similar view of a still further form of control mechanism; and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view of a further form of control system, set for horizontal flight but disturbed from normal flight conditions.

As the stabilizing system is particularly adapted to the flexible type airship, it will herein be described as applied to such an airship. Fig. 1 shows such a flexible airship in which 1 is the tractor head section, preferably of rigid construction with the main power plant and the front control surfaces carried thereon, 2 is a non-rigid load section and 3 is a non-rigid tail section. lt is. understood that these sections are'preferably separable and that the load section, 2, may be omitted for light loads or that additional load sections 'as 2 may be added for heavier loads or longer flights.`

In addition to the main power plant, 4, the

front vertical control surfaces, 6, the frontl horizontal control surfaces, .7, and the front car, 11, the head section 1 carries tanks 21, 22' f and 23, for the accommodation of ballast.

It'will be. understood herein that the term ballast includes also fuel for the power plant, oil, and other readily movable weight elements, and it is further understood that when a single system for the distribution of ballast is referred to for simplicity, a plurality of o systems mav be in use where a plurality of kinds of ballast are in use.

Since it is anticipatedthat water ballast recoverywill be employed in the airship to recover from the exhaustgase's of the power plant water Vapor in sufficient quantity to offset the approximate weight of fuel burned in flight, it will be unnecessary for the airship to carry an initially large weight of water ballast. Under these circumstances, it will be desirable to have .two parallel systems for ballast distribution, one for 'water and one forfuel. Thus, in thel first part of the flight, fuel would be the main weight element to be distributed for stability control, while in the latter part ofthe flight, water would preferably be the principal staresistance.

bilizing element. lt is further understood that although the tanks 21, 22 and 23 are designed primarily for liquid ballast of one sort or another, fluids such as the lifting gas may be employed for stabilizing purposes merely by amplifying the size of said tanks or of substituting therefor ballonets within the envelopes of the various airship sections.

Y Solids, too, may be'employed by substituting conveyors for the pipe lines shown in the drawings. Y

rl`he shifting of ballast is intended to care primarily for long time equilibrium conditions. llor momentary disturbances of stability, aerofoils or wings, 73 and 711, are located fore and aft on the car 11, as also on -other cars, 12 and 13. By chanffing the angles of incidence of these wings during flight, the lift or the balance or both of any section may be modified; this modication beingpractically instantaneous, the wings 73 and 74 sei've to correct the momentary disturbances and supplement the stabilizing intluence of the ballast distribution system.

VThe two systems may be operated by the same control system or by separate systems; this latter is preferred and is hereinafter described.

The load section,` 2, carries the car 12 and the wings 73 andy 74, and contains the ballast tanks 21 22 and 23, ainongother things. Stream-line flaps, l0, and flexible-cablesattached thereto serve to hold'the sections together flexibly and to produce aA smooth eX- terior adapted to offer the minimum of air The 4tail section 3 in addition to the rear vertical control surfaces, 3, the rear horizontal control surfaces, 9, the rear power plant, 5, which is preferably inclosed'within the lower vertical rtin, carries the car 13, the tanks 21, 22 and 23, and the wings 73 and 74, and other elements not essential to this description.

rllhe distribution of ballast will be described as for a liquid ballast, as the preferred form thereof. lts functions are twofold: the fore and aft stabilization of the individual airship sections; and the stabilizato other section of one section with respect tions.

The control system illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 is adapted to control thev fore and aft stability of an individual section,

Vsuch as the load section, 2, in this instance.

The diagram includes the elements employed inthe load car 12,' it being understood that other. cars, such as 11 and 13, include corresponding elements of their own stability con'- trol.

ln Fig. 2, the ballast tanks, 21 and 23, are interconnected by the pipe-line 20e-20a, in which Van electrically operated valve, 32,'is located. Smaller pipes, (i9 and (59,Alead' ofi of pipes 2O and 20a, respectively, to thefpump 68 .(.fof Fig. 3)' and serve to interchange ballast from the individual section stabilizing system to the inter-section stabilizing system of Fig. 3, or the reverse; these reduce or increase the total amount of liquid ballast equally in tanks 21 and 23 and hence do not aect the fore and aft stability of car 12.

A compressed air main pipe line 24 has branches `30 and 30a leading through electrically operated valves 31 and 33, espectively, to tanks 21 and 23., and are thus adapted to introduce air pressure on the liquid 19 in case either valve 31 or 33 is opened to the air line 30 or 30?. W hen closed to the air lines, these valves 31 and 33 are vented to the atmospherethus when valve 31 is opened and Vvalve 32 likewise is open, compressed air on the liquid 19 of tank 21 forces some of the liquid through the pipe-line .2O`--20a into the tank 23, where the pressure above the liquid surface isatinospheric, due to the vent in the1 valve 33. Thus, ballast is shifted from the,

front of the Car to the rear.

Controlling` this shift of ballast is the liquid level V35, which contains an electrically conducting` liquid, such as mercure, and thm@ contacts, 36, 37 and 3S. llVhen the car 12 is horizontal, only contact 36v touches the liog uid, and there is no complete circuit through the liquid level-valves 31, 32 and 33 remain closed. Assuming a rise in the right-hand or rear end of the car 12. the liquid level makes contact with the Contact 37, completing the circuit from the source ofelectrical energy,

26, through one wire 32a of the branch 34., through the Contact 36, through the ,liquidof the level, through the contact 37 through the wire 31a, through the operating;` mechanism-of the valve 5B1-thereby opening this valve to air line 30-through the wire v31", through the operating mechanism of the liquid valve 32-thereby opening Uhis valve to permit liquid flow in the pipe-line 20-203- through the wire 32b of the ranch line 34FV and back to the source of electrical energy, 23. Thus, the valve openings. are made as called for in the precedingl paragraph, and liquid ballast will flow from tank 21 to tank 23,

Y thereby tending to restore the equilibrium of section control with contact-making devices controlled by the angle of incidence of the wings 73 and 711 in such manner that oven vwhen the cars are heldl level bysaid wings i change the and the level 35 not making contact for that reason, the difference in the angles of incidence of wings 73 and il weuldcause a of liquid ballast between tanks 2l whereas, the difference between the ai J incidence of the wings of one section and another wouldpcause a flow of liquid ballast from section to section. Provision is made for the above auxiliary control in the contact-stops 91,- 92 and 92l of Figs. 8, 9 and 1Q, wherein the wing-operating lever, Q0, forms one side of the circuit and the contact-stop the other, when in contact.

T he necessary relays and electrical connections are readily :made by one skilled in the art.

l2from the top bus-bar of the source of elecvtrical energy 26, to the pivotedarm the adjustable resistance 28, the wire 27, the solenoid 42, and uccessii all the solenoids performing t"y saine function for other cars in series,and thence to the lower bus-bar, preferably in the tail section, and back to the source of electrical energy, 26. By adjusting` the resistance of rheostat 28, the amount of the current Vdowing through each of the solenoids aforesaid may be adjusted to give precisely the correct amount of assistance to spring l0 to hold the liquid Alevel 35 level. By increasing'or lecreasing the resistance of 2S above or below this point, as by moving the arm 29, wil` level of all the liquid levels, so shifting ballast within each section as to tend to tilt all sections through the augle and to maintain them tilted for ascending or descending flight. A link, 29a, may

thence throuf vbe provided to connect the arm 29 with the elevation steering mechanism of the airship, and so make the section inclination automatically adjusted by the action of the elevmou steering control. The preferred method, however, would be manual control of this inclination, since the long` period inclined flight would be seldom undertaken as compared with the many elevator movements incident to horizontal flight.

The inter-section stabilizing system is illustrated in Fig. 8 by diagrammatic views ofk the rear end of the head section car, the forward end of the load sectie.` Other cars would have correspon ments. The ballast tanks 22 and 22a, tions 11 and l2, respectivelyare inter-con nected by the pipe-line 54, 541, Esc, having the liquid valve 58 and the hand-operated valve 54" therein. The extension"pipe-line 54d leads to following sections. rlhe double pump 68 may be operated in either direction of flow by the motor, 67, which is preferably under manual control, and may pump liquid ballast between the tank 22 of the inter-section stabilizing system and tanks 2l and 23 of the intra-section fore andaft stabilizing system, the ballast pumped flowing equally through pipes 69 and 69 so as not to disturb the adjustment between tanks 2l and 28; this inter-svstem transfer of ballast is made within the respective sections and in no way affects theinter-section ballast distribution control.

Compressed air from the air mains, 2li- 2&1-242, ma be led through branch pipes 50 and 50a through electrically operated valves 5l and 52, respectively, to the ballast tanks 22 and 22a. By the electrical. connections, all valves are normally closed, valves 5l and 52 being then vented to the atmosphere. When either valve 5l or valve 52 is opened, valve 53 is thereby also opened to permit liquid flow between tanks 22 and 22a.

The control of the inter-section ballast distribution is effected by the extended liquid level system T 8-64-59-591-59-642 etc. Upright vessels, Giland Sila, are provided with electrical contacts 55, 56 and 57, 58, respectively. The conducting liquid in these vesselsl is interconnected and allowed to flow from vessel @l to vessel 64a and the reverse, and also to and from other similar vessels in other sections, through the connecting pipeline 59, 59, 59", so that thelevel of the liquid in each vessel tends to remain at the same height with respect to the ear h. The reservoir 78 serves to raise or lower this'cominon level to adjust the sensitiveness of the control. The size of pipe usedin the pipe-line rinterconnecting vessels 64 and 64a may be proportioned so that friction of liquid flow will damp any tendency for liquid surges valve l-thereby opening;` valve 5l ann tpplying air press ballast 19 in tan through the ope f thi-ou gli .th e wire ism ol' l1 .t

Should, however, the causeof the unbalance be a light tail section, contacts wou1l fl made inboth vessels G-l and 6l, valves and 52 would both be opened, valves and the 1re from 50 onto the liquic CAI corresponding liquid valve on the pipe-line 5411 wouldbe open, and liquid ballast would be forced from both tanks 22 and 22a into the corresponding tank of the tail section.

Flexible connections with easily detachable couplings 24a, 59n and 54a are provided for ycompressed air mains, liquid level line and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show diagrammatically the control system used in conjunction with the wings 73 and 74 on the respective sections of the airship, illustrating the conditions which exist normally, with the load section 12 lower than the others and on climbling flight, re-

spectively.

During normal flight, with the sections stabilized, thel liquid, 71a, 711 and 71C, inv

the upright vessels, 75, 76 and 77, respectively, corresponding to the airship sections 1, 2 and 3 and within the cars 11, 12 and 13, respectively, maintains a level between the upper contacts, 812.811J and 81e, and the lower contacts, 82, 821 and 82C, so that no wing control circuits are closed and the adjustable wings,

73a, 7 31, 7 3c, 7 4a, 741) and 74, are all in a neutral position. yl`he exact height of the liquid level in each upright vessel may be regulated by screwing inor out the plunger 7 9 of the storage cylinder 78. lf the levels are close under contacts 81a, 811 and 81C, action of the adjustable wings will be 'more prompt when a mutual vertical displacement of sections causes level liquid to flow through pipes 71 from or into any upright vessel than would be the case if the liquid level were lower, since more of the levelling liquid would have to flow into an upright vessel such as'76, in the latter case, in order to bridge the gap between contacts 811 Vand 821. y

Th case of the load sect-ionand its car 12 being lower than theliead and tail sections is shown in Fig. 5. Here, levelling liquid has flowed through pipes 71 into upright vessel.V

761 making the column oflevelling liquid, 711 high enoughto bridgethe gap between contacts 811l and 821), and so cause the wings 7313 and 741J to incline to a. positive angle of incidence or one that-affords upward lift from the wings in question. The intermediary mechanism may be such as that shown in Fig. 8 or in Fig. 9 or in Fig. l10, one such mechanism being adapted to operate a wing or a pair of wings under the control of a system such as that of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, or that of Fig. 11, or other suitable level detecting system.

lnclined flight over a period of time may be stably achieved as shown in Fig. 6, where` in the upper contacts, 81a, 811) and 81C, haveV been changed in elevation with respect to the cars 11, 12 and 13, respectively, in such ratio that the contact points thereof each is at a given distance above thev levelling liquid when the airship as a whole is inclined at the desired angle. Thus in Fig. 6, the liquid column 71a has adjusted itself at the same height above the earth as columns 711 and 71C, but it is lower with respect to the upright vessel 75 than is liquid 7111 with respect to upright vessel 7 6, and relatively still lower than is liquid 71c with respect to vessel 77. Stability control will then be with respect to this new datum level and Hight will continue uniformly at the predetermined inclination angle.

The location of the wings V73 and 74 is shown in Fig. 7, which is a cross section of the load section, 2. The outer envelope,.16, is preferably divided by curtains, 17, which sub-divide the lifting gas chambers into approximately equal compartments, both for ksafety in case of leakage and for the supporting strength that these curtains 17 give from envelope 16 to car 70. `Within the lifting gas compartments 14a, 141 and 14, respectively, may be air ballonets, 15a, 151 and 15, which are so proportioned that they permit the lifting gas to expand as the airship rises, driving air from the ballonets and thus not losing lifting gas and lift until the maximum desired height of the airship, or ceiling, is attained. rlhe lwings 73 and 74 are at. tached preferably toward the bottom of the car and may be braced by struts 72; both attachment to the car andto thev struts being pivotal in nature to permit freely adj ust-V ing the angle of incidence of these wings` Y during flight. `At the bottom of the car 70v are shown in their preferred location the tanks 21, 22 and 23, which are preferably in duplicate to permit the use of water ballast or fuel for stabilizing purposes as de sired.-

Fig. 8 shows one form of mechanism for operating the wings 73 and 74-Vhere shown for 73 only. The liquid column 71a in up` right vessel 75 may complete the electricalV 'circuit between contacts 81 and 82 if raised` by inliow from pipe 71. This would be caused by' a relative lowering of that part j' valve 86-thus opening the latter-through I wire 841, through contact 81, through liquid 71a, through contact 82, throughwire 84and` back to the source of electrical energy, 83.k

e EL..

The valve 86 being open, air from the compressed air line 86a will flow into cylinder 87, driving piston 88 and connecting rod S9 outward, thus rotating wing 7 3 by means of the arm 90 to a position such as 73d which generates upward lift by reason of the motion of the wing through the air. A stop, 91 may be provided for the neutral position of the wing and an adjustable stop 92 may be provided to limit the angle of incidence of wing 73. vWhen the low condition is rectified, flow of liquid out of vessel breaks the circuit between contacts 81 and 82, thus closing the valve 86, which is vented to the atmosphere, and releases the air from cylinder 87. YWing. 7 3 is so pivoted that it tends to return of itself to the neutral positionit may also have external means such as springs to assist in this return to neutral. Stops 91 and 92 may also serve as electrical contacts, or may carry such contacts for the tying in of the wing system by means of electrical relays with the inter-section ballast distribution system; thus if the wings of one section are called upon to exert lift, these relays oper ve valves 51 and 53, or the corresponding valves of the proper section, and start the transfer of liquid ballast away from the section kin which the wings are lifting. As the effect of ballast transfer is slower than wing lift action, if the disturbance is momentarily only, very little ballast has moved before the action is stopped. lf, however, there is a real unbalancing, the gradual shift of ballast will relieve the Wings of their lift and a stable condition will be reached. Thus, the wings act quickly and are especially suitable for short time disturbances and the ballast transfer system acts more slowly and is suitable particularly for long time disturbances.

The control mechanism of Fig. 8 is arranged to permit the adjustment of the relative height of the upper Contact 81 Within the vessel 75 by means of a cord, 81g, running over pulley 81f and around the Wind ing drum of the reversible motor 81e. l/Vires 81d lead to the control cabin of the airship, preferably, and permit the operation of motor 81e, and corresponding motors in other4 sections, any desired number of turns and so permit of the height control of the contact S1 from a distance in order to fulfill the conditions shown in Fig. 6 for inclined flight.

More sensitive control of the wing 7 3 may be obtained by the mechanism of Fig. 9, wherein the liquid 71a iirst makes contact with contacts 81 and S2, causing the valve 96 to open on the smaller cylinder 97 and and compressed air is admitted also to cyl-r inder 87, giving to the wing 73 a greater angle of incidence than 97 alone, and in consequence exerting a greater lift.

Means may also be provided, as in Fig. 10, for causing a wing to exert a depressing force or negative liftin case thepart in questionY `71a in the vessel 103 below the contact 101,

which is insulated from the vessel 103.V In this instance, the source of electrical energy, 83, is connected direct to the wall-of the vessel 103,which is of conducting material and serves as one of the contacts. T he contact 81 serves to operate the valve-opening mechanism of the valve 86, in case the section in question is low and lift upward is wanted. The control system of Figs. 4i, 5 ando is primarily adapted to the raising or lowering of a section as a unit with respect to the average level` ofthe airship. F ig. 11 shows a system which combines this function with that of fore and aft balancing of the individual sections, thus enabling the wing system to supplement all the functions of the ballast distribution systems shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Each section, 11, 12 and 18, Ais provided with fore and aft upright vessels, such as 111a and 1123, respectively. l All such upright vessels are inter-connected by a pipe-line so that the liquid in each vessel tends to maintain the same level with respect to the earth as in all other vessels of the airship. lThese vessels are of conducting material such as metal and have connections, 100, so that ,the'vessel may serve as one contact of each control circuit. Intermediate contacts such as 101a and 102@ are provided and insulated from the vessels 111a and 112% respectively, and serve the same function as Contact 101 of Fig. 10. Contacts such as 81a and 891 serve the same purpose as contact 81 of Fig. 10, to-cause a positive angle of incidence and lift of the correspondt ing wing. l

`Wing 7 3a is controlled by vessel 111a through the intermediary ofa mechanism such as is shown in F ig. 10. Similarly, wing 74a is so controlled by vessel 1120*, etc. TWith the flight conditions asV shown in Fig. .11, wings 7 3 and 74a are heldV neutral since section 11 is in normal position.- Wing 731 is depressed since the liquid in vessel 111b is relatively low and has broken the circuit between contact 100 and contact 101b, thereby operating the cylinder 107 (Fig. 10). 1Wing 71th is elevated and caused to give a positive or upward lift since the liquid in vessel 112b makes contact with contact 89h. Thus wings KYno 73b and 741 tend to lower the front of section 12 and to raise the rear of this section.

As section 13 is level but low, the liquid in I both vessels 111C and 112C makes contacts with contacts 8lc and 89C, therebyrcausing Wings 73e and 74 to assume a positive angle of incidence and to give a positive lift to the section While maintaining it on a level keel.

In the above figures and descriptions, liquid'levels have vbeen used to detect level conditions and to close the appropriate control circuits. It will be understood that any means of level detection, such as the pendulum, the gyroscope and any other may be utilized in such a stabilized airship, the use of liquid levels being preferred but not an essential feature of the invention. Although liquidballast is the preferred substance for use With the long time control system, it is understood that one skilled in the art may readily adapt the invention for the use of solid ballast or for gaseous ballast or lifting gas. It may further be possible to adapt the invention to use any material having weight7 such as parts of the equipment or load, for stability control. Further, electrical means have been shown through for the execution of the control in conjunction With compressed air. It is understood that any desired means of translating the level detectors indications into action of the controlling elements may be used Within the meaning of this invention. Though automatic control means have been set forth for the most part in the above, it is understood that manual control may be used to supplement automatic control or to replace it Wherever desired.

. I claim:

1. A sectional airship, means for flexibly connecting the sections of said airship and inter-section stabilizing means on said airship including level detecting means, intermediary operating means controlled by said detecting means for the transfer of movable Weight between longitudinally separated spaces in said airship and means for the localized alteration of lifting forces.

2. A sectional airship, means for the stabilization of individual sections of said airship and inter-section means for the stabilization of an individual section with respect to other sections.

3. A sectional airship, means for flexibly interconnecting sections of said airship, means for the stabilization of individual sections of said airship and inter-section means for the stabilization of an individual section with respectV to other sections.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature. FRANK SHORT.

'lavarsi 

